


his undying devotion

by tainted_quill



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Action, Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Angst?, M/M, Romance, drama?, microscopic markhyuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 18:14:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12281847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tainted_quill/pseuds/tainted_quill
Summary: Because hidden under the lies and the cool façade, everything he’d ever done had been only for Jaemin – always for Jaemin.(A Secret Agent/Spy AU)





	his undying devotion

**Author's Note:**

> \- unbeta'ed as always lmao  
> \- the secret agent/spy au no one wanted but got anyway  
> \- since they're secret agents/spies, they call each other nicknames  
> \- taeyong is the leader of the agency NCT, while jaehyun is the leader of their enemy agency (though it's not explicitly stated here, i just want to mention this in case i expand more on this au)  
> \- because maruru got me shipping jaemin and jaehyun as brothers, they are brothers here  
> \- there are a few ocs but their roles are minor  
> \- i think that's all? anyway, enjoy dear readers! ;)

 

 

Jeno hated the man in front of him.

Not only did the man seem to have captivated unwanted attention _again_ , but the fact that he was fooling _everyone_ made Jeno’s jaw tick. If he’d known going to the bathroom for a light break would entail a meeting with _him_ , he would’ve gladly suffered the rest of the night without a word of complaint. All of the wayward glances and the charming smiles he’d been forced to show would be easy to deliver if he hadn’t encountered _him_ again.

What was so great about him anyway?

Hell, if he knew. All he knew was he hated the way the man’s average raven locks fell into his obnoxiously exclusive eyes and the way everyone seemed to be in awe of him. There was nothing special about him. The small details of his face could easily be dampened if they could catch a glimpse of the brunet and hell, if they thought _he_ was charming, wait until they got a load of the younger male and they’d know what the _real_ definition of charming was. Unbeknownst to the wide-eyed gawkers, Jeno knew the man was fooling everybody. Even his colleagues didn’t know two bits about him.

But Jeno knew the man like the back of his hand and what he knew disgusted him.

He was a despicable, conniving man with the face of an average human. What was it that captured everyone to his person? Was it the ‘mystery’ he exuded of the sharp planes of his face?

The thought made him scoff internally.

Whatever, it didn’t matter.

The man could jump off a bridge for all he cared. Without him, the world would be all kinds of good. Honestly, Jeno couldn’t fathom how the man could bear to continue living the lie he managed to call life.

The muffled beat of the music playing from behind the bathroom door increased and Jeno clenched his jaw, eyes flashing with annoyance. Without turning around, his eyes flickered to the corner of the bathroom and he straightened over the sink, not even trying to hide the darkening of his facial features.

There was an awkward jiggle of the door handle before it opened with a squeak, pulling the blond from his thoughts once and for all. Without bothering to look at the intruder, Jeno schooled his features and waited. Some moments later, a forced command shook from the intruder’s throat, “Mr. James – Mr. Haechan advises you to be out in two minutes or you’ll be forced to relinquish the mission to more–” The underling paused with an audible gulp and Jeno closed his eyes with a clench of his jaw, “– _capable_ hands.”

 _Capable hands?_ Honestly, what did Donghyuck take him for? To think he’d been a member of NCT for just about four years now with more than enough years of basic training at Seoul’s elite military school and Donghyuck _still_ didn’t think he was capable of undertaking the most basic mission that can be given to people like them. Hell, even neophytes in Seoul University could complete this mission without breaking a sweat.

Inwardly growling and unclenching his jaw, Jeno patiently counted to three in his head and slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks. “You can tell _Mr. Haechan_ that I’m well on my way,” He replied, voice laced with ice as he opened his eyes once more. “And it would do you well to remember your station, Chanho. I expect you to knock before you enter.”

He felt, rather than heard, the man shift uncomfortably before hearing a choked _Yes, sir!_ On any other day, in another place and at a different point in time, the man’s response and the hasty closing of the door would have made him laugh.

But as everything changed around him, Jeno stood still.

This wasn’t any other day, in a different place or period of time.

He’d been different the day he decided to join Taeyong’s secret operatives. The day they took the younger away from him and he’d vowed to protect him, Jeno had changed into a different man. He was doing all of this for him, changing for him. Everything he’d done, it had always been for him…

Of course, that did nothing to stop the blond from hating himself.

With one last lingering glare, Jeno turned away from the mirror and left.

 

 

 

The party had been in full swing the moment he’d stepped foot in the Kim Manor’s ballroom, and Jeno had to mentally prepare himself for another party filled with blinding jewelry, fake smiles and high-pitched, cackling laughter. He’d never much liked girls since his mission as a high school student which required him to mingle with members of the opposite sex in his first ever co-ed high school. They hadn’t left much of an impression on him, to say the least.

Maybe that’s why he was attracted to the younger.

Then again, the chocolate haired boy had never been the type to be fake or do anything that would benefit himself. Well… back then, anyway.

Leaving the bathroom behind, the sounds of the harsh song that had been on moments earlier softened into an upbeat waltz. Jeno allowed his eyes to wander quickly from the ceiling of chandeliers that lit up the room, to the semi-circle of white-clothed tables surrounding the dance floor as well as the curtained stage at the head of the room, furthest from the entrance.

The room was impressive, Jeno admitted begrudgingly. The ceiling itself looked like it went on forever and was only given away by the dangling chandeliers. Everything in the room was decorated in whites, gold, purples, blacks, or silvers in their shimmering silk fabrics or on framed mirrors around the area. If anything, the space screamed of the Kim’s wealth and the blond couldn’t help but wonder how many people they’d managed to step on in order to acquire such a place.

After all, he’d known Kim Donghoon years before and after a dodgy singing career, the man had taken to inheriting the family business which hadn’t been very prosperous until just recently. Jeno wasn’t an amateur when it came to the workings of high society. He’d done enough undercover missions involved with them to know that there were hands working behind the scenes; blood being shed over table dealings and double – even triple – agents working for both sides.

But for him, there had always been one objective, only one goal to obtain: Na Jaemin.

“Took you long enough, _James_. If I’d known any better, I’d have thought you were a girl for how long it takes you in the bathroom. Was the bathroom mirror being over-complimentary again?”

Jeno sighed and turned his head to the side just the slightest in order to stare at Lee Donghyuck – or rather _Haechan_ , whom had been deemed the leader of their mission. He hadn’t understood when they’d been debriefed and he couldn’t, for the life of him, understand at the moment how Donghyuck had managed to become the leader of their group. _Jeno_ was the one who had the most experience when it came to missions. _Jeno_ was the one who graduated earlier than anybody in his year and _he_ had been the one who had managed to divulge the information that had been critical for this mission.

So why had _Donghyuck_ been chosen?

It had been rather like a slap in the face when Taeyong had sprung the news on him.

This was _his_ mission. Everybody at the headquarters had known that. So why–

“No retort?” Donghyuck cut in lightly, his tanned features accentuated with the slightest of make-up. “That isn’t like you at all.”

“If I’d known you’d be standing outside here waiting for me, Haechan, I would’ve taken much longer,” Jeno clipped in return, shooting the other with a bland stare. “May I ask how you fared with Miss Sora?”

The blond watched, semi-satisfied, when Donghyuck’s lips twitched as if ready to pull back into a menacing snarl. “One word, Jeno,” The redhead replied darkly. “You know as well as I do that a replacement awaits my orders. You can either be on this mission or off it.”

“Pretty words, Hyuck, but you know as well as I do that you wouldn’t _dare_.”

“I’d like to see you try me.” Donghyuck’s lips thinned into a line before he threw the other a dark, foreboding look of disdain. “Watch yourself, James. Remember what we’re here for.” Before he could return the advice, Donghyuck had already turned, walking up to Go Sora once again and coyly offering his arm to her. The look of jubilance on the young woman’s face and the mask of delight on his weren’t lost on Jeno and he quickly averted his eyes, scanning the room to find his own prey for the night: Lee Sungbyul.

She wasn’t a hard target to find, in her blinding, red satin outfit and crown of golden hair. Amongst the midnight blues and blacks, she had been one of the few that had dared to wear a bold red dress, one that dipped low in the back to display the delectable, silky white skin of her back. Heads had turned when she’d entered on her father’s arm and the charming smile that had immediately lit up onto her face had caused a fair number of knees to wobble precariously.

Jeno had watched carefully from afar and he too had to admit that she was a sight. He’d heard murmured whispers of,

 

_“Can’t you just picture a cascade of gold running down her back? Damn, if she could just loosen that hair of hers…”_

_“Just look at her! Is she trying to show us up? I spent a fortune on this dress and it’s completely outshone by hers!”_

 

She was beautiful, all right. Anybody could see that.

But as the blond started towards her, a casual hand in his pocket and dark eyes determined, the only thought that floated in his mind was the fact that Lee Sungbyul had nothing on Na Jaemin.

“Oh, Jamie!” Bright blue eyes immediately came into view and Jeno allowed her to grab onto his arm, nodding at those in attendance. “Have I introduced you to Donghoon? He’s the son of Kim Dongho, the holder of this grand party and let me tell you, he’s accomplished quite a bit when it comes to the business.”

“So I’ve heard,” Jeno drawled, hiding the sarcasm from his voice as he met dark, green eyes. “It’s an honor.”

Donghoon smirked, basking in the attention before he asked with mild disinterest, “And what do you do, Mr. James?” The blond could tell from the look in the other’s eyes that he suspected him. Though Jeno managed to have an impeccable memory when it came to neutral people of high society, it seemed Donghoon found him familiar but his eyes immediately settled on Sungbyul, instantly uncaring if he could pose a problem or not.

“Accounting,” He returned smoothly. Jeno found that nobody questioned him when he’d used the profession as his own. When Donghoon lifted one sardonic eyebrow in his direction, Jeno explained sharply, “I’m distant friends with the Lee’s and they managed to convince me to come tonight.”

“Ah.”

“And we’re very, very delighted you decided to do so, Jamie. Really,” Sungbyul smiled. Jeno felt a slight twinge of guilt for using her, but the bigger picture remained in his mind and the blond quickly smothered the feeling with one of determination. He wasn’t here to mingle with the wealthy. He had a job to do.

“Though I received the invitation, I haven’t been very informed as to what we’re celebrating tonight. Mr. Kim, seeing as you’re the heir to this event, I suppose you’d know?”

“You may call me Donghoon, James,” The raven replied after a tired sigh. “As you know, our company has flourished in the past year or so, and my father had decided to make a presentation of the fruits of our labor as well as announce a few more products for the New Year.” Green eyes flashed with annoyance when Jeno questioned him further. “Other than that, I don’t know what else. The old man’s wanted to have a large bash as a commemoration of the approach of Christmas for years and it seems like he finally has the means to do so.”

“I see,” Jeno clipped coolly, forming what he hoped to be a charming smile at the man. _Lying jerk_.

Jeno quieted, barely paying attention to Sungbyul’s questioning voice and Donghoon’s answering replies as he glanced discreetly around the room to the boxes located high up on each wall which would end up seating the wealthiest of high society. The boxes, the blond knew, overlooked the whole room and behind the curtains, deals were being made amongst the other wealthy guests. One of the deals, he’d been tipped off earlier, would reveal the masterlist of the leaders of South Korea’s largest black market which included the darkest members of lower, middle, and high class society.

His job was to acquire this list without pushing suspicion on himself or those within his organization. A retrieval mission was all it was and though it was classified as A or B rank, Jeno couldn’t find the reason as to why it would be so. It was a file, a piece of paper with writing on it. Why his organization needed such a thing, Jeno had only gray hints of an answer. All he knew was it’d be one step closer to getting what he’d always needed.

“Oh, Sora!” Sungbyul’s voice broke him from his thoughts. “I’m glad you could make it. The last I heard from you, you’d told me you didn’t know if you could come!”

Jeno raised an acerbic brow when Donghyuck came into view dressed in a green suit, the other’s eyes trained on Donghoon. Though the redhead loathed the green color, he’d told him that someone he knew at the party would love it and it’d be a sure way to get what he wanted. And if Sora’s flirtatious looks were anything to go by, the suit was doing its job well.

“Well, when I learned that an old friend was dropping by and needed a date, I couldn’t say no,” She answered with a cheeky grin, leaning closer to Donghyuck, her head on the said male’s shoulder. Jeno had to commend Donghyuck for restraining himself, for not pulling away since he knew the slightly younger male would rather have _Mark hyung_ in his arms, but he’d never say it out loud. Besides, they weren’t supposed to know each other.

“Everybody, this is Lee Haechan,” Sora presented. “Isn’t he so handsome?”

Amongst the murmurs of affirmation, Jeno spied Donghyuck clenching his free fist.

“Oh, this is James Lee,” Sungbyul piped in.

The blond was about to reply when he caught a whisper from behind him, _“-ver there? That’s Jung Jaemin. I heard he came with Kang Chanhee.”_

His eyes were casually darting around the room as he gave a small, apologetic smile, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, but if you’ll excuse me, I have a matter to discuss with an old friend.” Jeno didn’t miss the way Donghyuck’s eyes narrowed or the way Sungbyul clutched his arm desperately before begrudgingly letting it go. All he could really care about was the subtle flash of black and chestnut brown before he immediately started heading over.

Jeno probably had a fierce look of determination on his face but he couldn’t care less. It was a good thing, if the parting rivers of people were anything to go by. He’d been waiting for this the entire night, if not for the past four months since he’d last seen the younger male. His heart was pounding with a quick succession and his eyes were stinging from the lack of relief as his dark orbs roamed over the tiny group of people clustered around the famous Kang Chanhee and his date.

A girl he remembered to be Lee Hyemin immediately looked up and Jeno wanted to blast her mouth off when her lips formed words he couldn’t hear and then _he_ turned around with a flash, making the older male’s heart promptly stop.

He looked the same. _How could he look the same?_ It had been months, and as everybody managed to change, the younger looked the same and God, it was frustrating. He had the same, large brown eyes and messy chestnut brown hair and overgrown bangs that looked good _only_ on him.

Jaemin had never needed to use products to make him look breath-taking, and the proof was in the way he looked; smooth, pale skin stretched across his cheeks with a slight pink blush on his prominent cheekbones, and the faint eyeliner making his eyes pop out more. Just a hint of a pink lip balm on his lips and Jeno’s blood was boiling with remembrance.

And while Lee Sungbyul was the epitome of an exotic beauty with her bold, blood red dress and glittering jewels on her person, all Jaemin had to wear was a pure black suit to accomplish the look of simple beauty.

“Jaemin, you–”

Just then, the lights darkened and Jeno cursed as the younger managed to slip away. Before he could make a move to follow, a hand clamped down on his arm and pulled him into a dark corner.

“Are you _trying_ to screw everything up?!”

“Johnny hyung,” The blond growled darkly, shoving his arm off and instantly pushing them into his pockets. “Why are you interrupting me on–”

“Donghyuck sent me, of course. He was practically glaring daggers at the back of your head and he called me over just before the lights went out to tell you you’re off the mission.”

A shock went through his body and Jeno looked up to glare at what looked to be the silhouette of Youngho’s face. “Funny,” He drawled, “–but you know as well as I do that this is _my_ mission, hyung. Mine.”

“Be that as it may, Donghyuck’s group leader and his words are final,” Youngho answered with finality. “I’m not like Chanho, _James_. You don’t scare me at all, and I know you care about Jaemin like the rest of us, but drop it and leave. Ten is scheduled to take your place in a few.”

Jeno tore away into the crowd and immediately located the redhead, stiffly asking Sora to relinquish her hold on him. “What the hell do you think you’re playing at?” He snarled lowly.

Donghyuck’s voice was as bland as it had always been, and he answered impassively, “I warned you, James. If you can’t rein in your emotions, then you’re off the mission and once you stormed away and into his circle, you were out. Now leave. We don’t need reckless fools on this mission. We need the best.”

“I _am_ the best,” Was his dark reply. “You _know_ this. Despite the fact that Taeyong hyung made you leader, it was obviously under foolish pretenses since _I’m_ the one with more experience. Who are you to kick me off of this mission?”

“I’m leader because I don’t let the fact that _my best friend_ is on the enemy’s side deter me from completing our mission, which I assume you’ve forgotten,” Donghyuck drawled carefully. “Now if you’ll excuse me and leave, our real mission commences in fifteen minutes and since you’re out of commission, I’ll get Chanho to brief Ten hyung on what’s going to happen.”

“There’s no _time_ and you know as well as I do that I won’t leave even if you tell me to. I’m here for him, yes – but that doesn’t mean I won’t put the list before him.”

Dark eyes narrowed even further and Donghyuck reached up to straighten the other’s tie, all the while murmuring darkly into his ear, “If you screw up, I’m going to make sure you’re off every mission that he’ll be present in. If you do anything to jeopardize the mission, I’ll make sure your life will never cross paths with his. I know you’re the best, but you know as well as I do that you would _never_ put anything before him. _He_ comes first to you, but you’d better hope you get the list into my hands before you do something that we’ll both regret.”

With another look of disdain, the redhead released him and made his way toward Sora once again, and Jeno pulled at his tie, inwardly snarling at the fact that Donghyuck practically suffocated him as a warning.

The hairs on the back of his neck went on end before he felt the warmth of a figure behind him. “So?”

“I’m back on the mission,” He turned to Youngho. “Now get back into the shadows and wait for my signal. We move in ten minutes.” He heard the older male shuffle away as his eyes trained onto the stage strung with bright lights and silk fabrics.

“ _Please rise to welcome your host, Kim Dongho!_ ”

As announcements and thanks were shared, Jeno’s eyes wandered again throughout the crowd, but try as he might, he couldn’t locate Jaemin again. His choice of clothing, all black, melded well amongst the shadows. He cursed the timing.

Checking his watch once again, he moved towards the entrance of the ballroom, watching with meticulous eyes as the throngs of guests continued to make their way into the ballroom after the echoing of the announcement. He’d leaned against the wall, pretending to be engrossed in a call from his phone until the last of the stragglers made their way inside, leaving maids and servants in the foyer.

Without a backwards glance, Jeno stared at the winding staircase that led upstairs. Like a cat, he stealthily climbed the stairs, blending into the shadows. If the servants who saw him questioned his presence in the third level of the manor, they left no indication that they did so. Instead, they eagerly gestured him towards ‘his’ box when he’d said he’d come as a proxy for the Lee’s. Apparently, that had been good enough for them.

But instead of actually remaining in his box, once the servants had left, Jeno made it up another flight of stairs to the fourth floor boxes where the Kang’s were meant to be sitting. Needless to say, he didn’t care whether they were present or not. Having them present would mean that Jaemin would be there, and if they weren’t there, well… that’d mean his plans for the list’s retrieval would be far more simple than planned.

Three empty seats stared back at him and Jeno didn’t know if he was torn between anger and disappointment more. Was the younger purposely acting like a spineless coward? Checking his watch, the blond found that there were seven minutes left.

He didn’t bother sitting, however. Instead, he stood up against the railing that overlooked the crowd below and he scanned the cluster of guests, wasting no time to find Youngho pressed against the wall adjacent to the stage.

Donghyuck was in the middle of the crowd with one arm around Sora’s waist, the other clenched in a fist where he knew the redhead would be waiting for the right opportunity to use one of his inventions embedded in either the watch or the ring he’d been wearing – Jeno wasn’t certain which.

Yuta was pressed up against the wall on the opposite side of Youngho while Chanho and Doyoung were situated by the entrance. Everybody was waiting for his signal. Jeno checked his watch once more.

Two minutes.

Jaemin was still nowhere to be found. If everything worked out as planned, there’d be no casualties. If chaos ensued immediately, he’d hope the other would be able to get out. If Jeno was being honest with himself, this would have to be one of the more interesting missions he’d been sent on. The guests would have no idea what hit them. The wealthy, which were so used to being the cream of the crop and the finest of silvers, sure had something coming today.

The faintest shimmer of a smirk crossed his face, and his eyes glinted with a dark mischief he hadn’t felt in ages.

Leaning just a bit further from his position on the railing, Jeno took a glimpse at the lower boxes and wasn’t surprised to find a number of tuxedo-decked men around tables with wine glasses and cigars. He still couldn’t be sure as to which box would have the list dealing, but amongst the lower boxes, there were only four to choose from, and hopefully his first would be lucky.

The seconds were ticking down and Youngho’s face was upturned to watch his signal.

_Three… two… one._

And then he jumped as the lights went out.

He couldn’t help the dark smirk that took his lips the moment he heard the screams of surprise.

He’d noticed, during his inspection of the room earlier in the night, that each box got smaller and smaller the higher up it was located. Consequently, the fall had been a short one and Jeno managed to fall on all fours with a faint patter on the box beneath him. He pressed himself to the wall and waited for a few more seconds before the lights went on and he caught the vulgar curses of the box guests when they saw his flashing dark eyes and the feral smirk on his face.

Too bad there were only playing cards, glasses of wine, cigars and their ashtrays on the table.

The lights went off again, and Jeno bounded onto the railing once more, bracing himself on the wall before readying himself. Balancing, he took off on the railing and leaped off of it, landing with a soft roll onto his feet. This landing wasn’t as quiet as he’d hoped because immediately, there were loud curses of profanity and the brunet rolled to the wall, waiting for the customary flashes of light that’d be given every thirty seconds thanks to Donghyuck.

Timing was everything for this mission. It was the most fragile point of their mission and Jeno’s heart was pounding as he awaited the upcoming bout of light, dodging feet and the manic cries of surprise.

Leaping onto the railing for the third time, Jeno’s eyes trained onto one box, and when the flash of light went off for a period of five seconds, he’d caught much of the same sight he’d seen previously: wine, cigars, and fat, rich old men.

It was only when his feet landed on the third box did he know instantly that chaos would be a factor to his mission. Not only was the heat unbearable in the box, but when he’d rolled to a stop, he’d knocked into quite a number of people. The flash of light came faster than he’d expected, and his breath hitched when he caught a glimpse of Jaemin, eyes wide and a white strip of paper in his gloved hands, on the verge of making a break for the door.

Left and right, muffled cries of indignation rang around the room, but Jeno’s eyes trained on Jaemin’s form, even as the lights went out yet again. Throngs of people in the boxes were already making their way out the main door of the third floor and the blond joined the cluster, ignoring the smell of fright in the air around him.

All he could think of was how perfect it was to have both mission objectives together and his for the taking.

As everybody made their way downstairs to the main exit of the building, Jeno took the stairs two at a time, following the escaping brunet boy who’d been doing a good job of bounding up the stairs in such speed. The younger was really a sight, Jeno admitted.

The winding staircase seemed never-ending, and Jeno made quick work to catch up with the other. With a dark growl, Jaemin paused on the stairs, and he turned around to face his direction – a dark smirk on his perfect lips. The action caught the older of the two off-guard, and he took it as a chance to run off once again.

“Jaemin, stop.”

The mentioned male’s head whipped around just the slightest; before he sent Jeno a chilling glare, “Then _stop_ _following_ me, Jeno.” He said quietly; voice laced with ice.

The iciness caused a shiver to run down his spine – the soft command but a whisper amongst the shouts of indignation just stories below them. In a second, the younger was off again, dashing from the stairs and into a room to his left. The door hadn’t even closed fully before Jeno barged into the room, watching as Jaemin threw open the doors of the balcony.

His arms wrapped around the brunet's waist in an instant. “I said stop,” He murmured darkly.

“Oh yeah? And when have I ever listened to you?!” Jaemin shouted, kicking under the blond’s legs and shoving him to the ground. Jeno evaded by leaping backwards into a roll before bouncing back, fists at the ready and expression fierce with determination.

“You don’t belong there and you know it!”

“Belong here, belong there; why would it matter to you?!” The younger returned coolly, glaring Jeno down as they circled each other; only their silhouettes could been seen within the darkness of the room and the blond cursed at the fist clenching around a wad of snow white paper.

It had to be his.

“I told you when I left, and I’ll tell you this one last time,” Jaemin’s voice was soft and acerbic. “My parents were killed because of you guys and my brother – my _last_ living relative has taken me back! After all this time, he wants me back, Jeno! Do you honestly think I’d abandon the only family I have? I won’t be a part of an organization that has the responsibility of my parents’ death on their shoulders. And if that means I have to be apart from you guys, then so be it!”

But damn, the boy had to be his too.

Jaemin had tried to escape from the balcony, but the older’s faster limbs brought him to the entrance before he could make it. The growl from the younger’s lips only strengthened Jeno’s resolve. “You’re doing this because of your _brother_? The same brother who left the day you were born only to come back when you were fourteen to take you away from us? I hate to break it to you, Nana, but he doesn’t love you like we do. He’s just using you to get to–”

“Shut up.” Jaemin murmured, his body trembling. “ _Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!_ ”

Jeno dropped his hands and approached him cautiously, but the other recoiled, ducking under his arms and jumping onto the railing. The wind outside was roiling and something like the rolling of thunder could be heard from up above.

“Don’t come near me! I don’t want to listen to anything more of what you have to say!”

“Then come home with us!” Jeno shouted. “Come home! You may think that you’re with your brother now because he’s family, but think about it! _Think_! We’ve been with you through _everything_ and we’ve wanted you back since the day you left. We’ve never left you. We’re your real family. _You_ abandoned _us_.” He clenched his fists, dark eyes taking in Jaemin’s devastatingly familiar figure before he gritted out, “I want you back.”

“Don’t kid with me, Jeno,” The brunet returned coldly. “I don’t want to hear this from you!”

He turned around, ready to jump from the railing when the blond lunged forward, grabbing his arm with what seemed to be like lightning speed before Jaemin tipped forward, and tumbled into him. His arms wrapped themselves around the boy’s lithe body and he pushed Jaemin’s head into his neck in an awkward, desperate hug in order to make sure the latter wouldn’t be able to break out into another mad run off the balcony.

“Do I look like the type that jokes around?”

Jeno hated it, hated the fact that he was trembling like a pathetic school girl because of the younger; trembling because of the deplorable fact that because of _Jaemin_ , he was reduced to a reckless agent who’s supposed to put the mission before everything else. But he couldn’t do that, not to him. Jaemin was far too important to brush to the side like dust under a rug. He’d been deemed an enemy a few years back but he was _there_ , right there with him, in his arms like he’d always wanted.

Something deep inside him told the blond to tighten his arms and keep the younger boy there because this was too much like a dream, a dream wherein chaos ensued in a darkened ballroom beneath them, where a helicopter was cutting the sky with sharp blades from above the building, and where a storm was brewing right in between.

He knew it was temporary, because nothing like this was ever destined to happen to him. He’d always been alone. His mother had died; his father was in the hospital, and his sister taken by the enemy only God knew where. So this moment of bliss of having the one person he cared about with him this way, Jeno knew to cherish it like it was his last.

And his brain almost short-circuited when Jaemin’s thin arms wrapped themselves around his neck, pressing his slightly thinner body flush against his. If anything, Jeno had never felt like something could ever feel right ever again.

_I want you. I’ll be there for you. I need you. You’re everything._

He could feel it. This was _everything_ , Jaemin was everything. Damn it, if he didn’t love the younger.

Suddenly, it felt like he’d suffocate if he couldn’t sate the fire burning through his veins. With raw determination, the blond took hold of the other’s chin and pressed their lips together. He wished it was soft and gentle so that he didn’t scare Jaemin away. He wished he could stop forcing himself onto him be he _couldn’t_. There was something about the brunet being there, alone with him and holding him just as tightly as he was that made Jeno see red.

And every frustration, every minute that passed in the four months he’d last seen him and every fiber of his being poured from the desperate hold he had on Jaemin, wishing the younger could feel everything that he did in that one moment where passion and vigor were combined to its ultimate degree.

God, he loved Jaemin so much he couldn’t see straight.

The boy’s lips were a delicious shade of red when Jaemin pushed him away and stepped out from under his arms. Brown eyes which had been cold, hard chips of brown had returned to their normal pools of chocolate and Jeno swallowed thickly at the look of heartbreaking regret the brunet’s face.

“Don’t even think about making promises you can’t keep,” Jaemin murmured softly. “You know this can’t happen, Nono. We’re enemies, usually after the same objective and constantly at each other’s throats. We can’t possibly have _this_ ,” He pointed to the space between them, “–when we’ll have yet another meeting in a few months like we are now, each of our sides expecting us to be ruthless to the other. It’s too difficult.”

“Then come with me,” Jeno responded calmly, clenching his fists. “Come with me and the people that care for you and nothing will stand between us. It’s not as hard as you think.”

“Gee, thanks for understanding like you always do, Nono,” The younger of the two said, voice dripping with sarcasm and a hint of annoyance. “I swear, every time I see you, you’re more of a selfish jerk.”

“Only for you.”

His head snapped forward to glance at Jeno with disbelief and he shook his head, backing away. “You’ve got to be joking,” He whispered darkly. “Stop saying those things to me, Jeno. Tell me the truth for once! Those words, they aren’t allowed to come from you!”

“And why not?” The blond asked scathingly, stepping forward. “Are you afraid to accept the truth? That everything I’ve ever done since I met you, every minute that passed by as I work for your very uncle and his organization, every mission I take, is for you? Everything, _everything_ has always been for _you_.”

“Stop it!” Jaemin screamed. “Stop it, shut up, shut _up_!”

Tears rolled down his cheeks as he wrinkled his nose, a devastating expression on his face. “Stop it, stop it…” Jeno never liked it when people cried. They’d always look ugly. Nobody looked good when they cried, but Jaemin, he cried quietly with tears neatly spilling from the corners of his eyes… he looked like a broken angel.

And something tugged viciously in his chest, causing his legs to be frozen in their place as he watched silently from the sidelines, as he’d always done.

“Is this what you want?” Jaemin whispered venomously, holding up the piece of paper. “ _Was this what you wanted all along?!_ ” He threw the paper at his feet with a bitter laugh, “Then take it! _Take it_! You want to succeed in your mission, _James Lee_? Are you purposely making me feel like this so that I surrender to you?! You know how I feel about you! You know it and you’ll exploit it because you’re nothing but an arrogant, selfish jerk! Is this what you want then? Is this what you want from me?!” He screamed again. “Then take it and leave me alone!”

The brunet jumped onto the railing of the balcony, teetering over the edge before jumping off the post, falling just like Jeno’s stomach had. “ _NO_!”

He forced his feet to move to the balcony, only to find that Jaemin had grabbed onto an awaiting rope ladder dangling from the side of the helicopter above. With his chestnut brown hair and necktie moving with the strong winds, the helicopter pulled him up and away from the building, leaving Jeno with a strip of paper and a dark, empty feeling in his chest.

 

 

 

Jeno easily mingled with the throngs of people clustered at the foot of the staircase and pooling into the foyer, the important document folded neatly inside his pocket.

Yuta raised a brow at him the moment their eyes met from across the room, and when they passed one another, discreetly passing the document from one hand to the other’s, Yuta asked with a grin, “I bet the mission went in your favor, huh? Had a good time?”

His question had been met with a dark scowl for a reply.

The file changed hands from Yuta’s to Youngho’s, and from Youngho’s to Donghyuck’s in a matter of minutes and before long, they were leaving in separate cars, all going to the same destination.

 

 

 

“When’s the next mission?” He asked immediately as champagne flutes and congratulations went around the room.

Taeyong, looking far younger than his age told, eyed him with amusement. “You know, this always happens, Jeno. Every time you come back for a mission involving _him_ or may have the smallest tie to my nephew, you always come back right after asking when the next mission is. Don’t you want a break from all of this?” He waved a hand around the lunch room of their headquarters. “Don’t you want to breathe in the fresh air and, I don’t know, visit your father or hang out with your friend, Lee Minhyung? This can’t be the only life you want to live, filled with missions and life threatening situations. Rest assured, Donghyuck told me what your mission entailed and I don’t approve of your hasty jumps from balcony to balcony. You know as well as I do that bodyguards aren’t trained to hold those guns of theirs for show.”

Jeno remained silent, his champagne flute untouched on the table, a torrent of thoughts assailing his mind. “Our side must prevail,” He chose his words wisely. “I want to speed up the process.”

“You’re certainly doing so, Jeno,” Taeyong assured, “–but I want you to take the next two days off and relax. I’m not Jaehyun. I won’t push you to your limit and you shouldn’t push yourself too hard either. The next thing you know, Jaemin will be setting flowers by your grave if you keep up your demanding mission requests.”

“I see,” The blond muttered, setting down the flute he’d been playing with. Standing up and grabbing his jacket, Jeno turned to leave. “But I doubt that’ll happen.”

“You shouldn’t be too cocky, Jeno. Nobody is invincible, no matter how much they’d like to believe.”

“I’m not saying I am,” He returned, a bitter smirk on his face.

He just couldn’t die because the younger was still alive and apart from him. He wouldn’t stop his missions until Jaemin was safe and sound in his arms. He was his reason to keep on working, he was his reason he lived through every mission.

Taeyong said there was more to life than missions and life endangering situations for him, that wasn’t true. Not really, anyway.

Because Jaemin was his life, his reason to live, and if it meant he’d have to battle every second of his life in order to get close to him, then so be it.

Because he lived his life for Jaemin.

Everything had always been for Jaemin.

 

 


End file.
